


Hope and glory won't pass us by

by Veto_power_over_clocks



Category: Batman - All Media Types, The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Rated T for language, nothing bad happens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:41:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24954724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Veto_power_over_clocks/pseuds/Veto_power_over_clocks
Summary: This is the face Jason sees when they meet. It’s not Rodimus’s real face. The man humming along to the radio and tapping on the steering wheel to the beat of the music isn’t real, and Jason’s still wondering what that means for the warm feeling that settles in his chest when he looks at Rodimus.
Relationships: Rodimus/Jason Todd
Comments: 25
Kudos: 135





	Hope and glory won't pass us by

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Auri3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auri3/gifts).



> Part of a trade with [Auri](https://auri3.tumblr.com), who is an amazing artist that deserves all the Rodimus/Jason Todd content her heart desires (or at the very least your attention; the way she portrays body language is an absolute joy to look at).

Years ago, before Jason was born, finding a forest road that’s near enough Gotham to allow going for a drive during the day would have required studying maps, checking guides and maybe making some calls, and then he’d probably have needed to do some recon first, just to ensure the place was what he needed.

Say what you want about technology and globalization and all that, but he appreciates living in a time where he can get all the information he needs by typing the right words in a search bar and clicking on some links.

He can’t skip recon, though. Only a naïve brat would.

What he finds is a not very frequented road, a relic from the times before the nearby highway was built that nowadays is only used by people that are either taking a photography course or trying to hide something. It’s perfect.

Jason congratulates himself a day later, as he leans back in the passenger seat and watches the trees pass by through the window. It’s better when he finally allows himself to casually turn his head to the side and look at the ‘driver’ again: short reddish brown hair that seems odd if you look at it for too long (“It shines like a shitty wig,” Jason had said once, and his companion had gaped for a moment before he’d started laughing, so loud that Jason had known it was more about the joy of laughing than about how funny his words had been), blue eyes of a shade that can’t be found in a human, freckles that Jason wants to map with his fingertips and a smile that comes out a bit more easily each time they hang out. This is the face Jason sees when they meet. It’s not Rodimus’s real face. The man humming along to the radio and tapping on the steering wheel to the beat of the music isn’t real, and Jason’s still wondering what that means for the warm feeling that settles in his chest when he looks at Rodimus.

A different, more selfish part of him wonders if Rodimus can feel like that as well, and if he does, is it limited to people of his own species? And if that’s the case, what does it mean that sometimes he catches Rodimus looking at him softly, like he thinks Jason deserves the rare good things that happen to him?

“I never had time to go for a drive during the war, you know?” Rodimus says, sticking his head out the window and letting the wind mess up his already tousled hair. Jason’s still wondering how the whole ‘hard light hologram’ thing works. He can touch things, he can definitely hit things (Jason had bruises for days after their first meeting), he can affect the world around him (and this isn’t just about Jason’s speeding hearbeat), but there must be a limit to how much the world can affect him (and this isn’t about Rodimus lingering at Jason’s side after saying goodbye, or messaging Jason to ask him how he’s doing when Red Hood is on the news). At least Jason can rest easy knowing that Rodimus will be fine even if something happens to the false human body that’s currently ignoring road safety rules.

“I don’t, but I can imagine,” Jason says, smiling at Rodimus’s enthusiasm. “I don’t get to have many breaks myself, either,” he adds, schooling his expression and finally looking away from Rodimus when he returns to his seat and turns his attention towards Jason. It won’t do to get caught staring; that was fine when he was a naïve kid crushing on Donna, not now that he’s… Well, not now. It’s not fine now. He should have his act together now.

“Many breaks, or any breaks?” he asks. “Do vigilante crime lords get to, heh, stop and smell the roses?”

Jason looks at Rodimus again. He’s grinning, teasing, and Jason decides to smile back, because the moment to talk himself out of trusting Rodimus was six months ago. Now, Jason has to accept that there might be consequences if that ends up being a mistake and, well, as long as he doesn’t die again he can live with that. Dying might suck, but it helps put everything else in perspective.

“What do you know? Maybe I have a rose garden hidden in a shipping crate in Gotham Harbor.”

“You’d have shown me that already if you did,” Rodimus says lightly.

He’s right. Jason has spent three months taking Rodimus to every place in Gotham that’s worth seeing, from the big museums to forgotten gardens on rooftops that Poison Ivy may or may not have something to do with, and then to the places he likes best, unimportant spots that only matter because they hold good memories and which Rodimus had listened to him talk about as if they were actually interesting.

The end of the forest is visible in the distance, and for the third time since they got there, Rodimus stops and turns around to keep driving through the trees. When Jason had asked him about it the first time he’d shrugged and said he wasn’t ready for the open road yet, and even though Jason had been sure that Rodimus wasn’t being fully honest (after all, he’d been very specific when he’d asked Jason to plan this outing, and Jason doesn’t believe his request was based solely on a passing fancy), he’d let it go and allowed himself to enjoy the drive, checking his phone every fifteen minutes to make sure nothing in Gotham required his immediate return. He doesn’t want to go back yet, and if he could he’d ask Rodimus to keep driving and not stop until they got to Mexico, and then to leave everything behind and travel the world. He thinks Rodimus would like Brazil. And Easter Island. Maybe Sicily. The world is big and Rodimus looks at it like it’s worth seeing it.

The world, unfortunately, has a lot of shit going on, and someone has to do something about it. Jason is too aware of it all to not be that someone.

“Do you mind if we stop and walk around for a bit?” Rodimus asks, already slowing down as they reach a stretch of the road that’s far enough from the trees for him to be able to park next to it.

“Go ahead,” Jason says, wondering if Rodimus will finally tell him what today’s about.

Jason steps out of the car and stretches his arms over his head. Rodimus doesn’t bother opening his door, he simply blinks out of existence for an instant and reappears standing next to ‘the car’. Next to _Rodimus’s actual body_ . He’d explained it before, that he was a robot from outer space with the ability to turn into a car, that the person Jason had been talking to was a hologram, that when he drove around the person in the car was just there for show and that it was the car, well, _Rodimus himself_ , doing everything. That he has an engine, and bolts and fuel lines and that he’s been around for millions of years.

Jason still has trouble wrapping his head around all that. Not the aliens and robots, but the fact that, somehow, Cybertronians had managed to come to Earth and nobody had noticed. He _does_ , however, understand that he knows something Bruce doesn’t, and he won’t pretend he doesn’t feel a petty, almost childish, glee at that.

“Is it okay to leave you back here?” Jason asks Hologram Rodimus as he starts walking into the forest, apparently not worried about the dangers of leaving an expensive sports car unattended on some lost forest road.

“The most anyone can do is steal me, and if they do that I can just drive back,” he says, waving dismissively. “Come on, Jason, I want to look around.”

“They could try to steal your tires,” Jason points out, but still goes to him. What else can he do? Stay by the road next to Rodimus’s actual body and get progressively more weirded out by the situation?

The moment Jason gets to his side, Rodimus grabs his hand and starts walking, like it’s the most normal thing to do, even though he’s never done it before or hinted at wanting to do it.

It takes a moment for Jason to realize what Rodimus is doing. His own hand is stiff in Rodimus’s hold, and he looks down to ensure that this is happening, as if the slight tingling sensation on every point of contact between them wasn’t enough confirmation. When he realizes that, yes, Rodimus is holding his hand and it doesn’t seem to be a mistake, he dares to curl his fingers and gently squeeze Rodimus’s hand.

Rodimus stops walking and turns to look at Jason, smiling.

“Did I ever tell you that we have a language that’s spoken by holding hands?” He squeezes Jason’s hand back. “It consists of applying pressure to different areas to say things.”

“What sort of things?” Jason asks, intrigued not as much by what Rodimus is saying, but by the mischievous glint in his eye, the same that precedes his worst (best) ideas, like sneaking into Wayne tower just to see if they get caught, or dragging Jason to the middle of the dancefloor and dipping him.

“Anything you want,” he says, shrugging. “Things like, ‘I think you’re cute and I want to kiss you,’ or, ‘Hey, Jason, did you know that you get this super goofy smile on your face when you think I’m not looking at you?’” He accompanies each word with a press of his fingers against Jason’s hand, and Jason might have considered feeling embarrassed over how _adolescent_ this conversation sounds if he wasn’t busy processing what he thinks Rodimus is saying.

“I know about the second thing,” Jason says, trying for nonchalance. “I can’t really help it.” Rodimus’s smile widens at that. “What was that first thing you said?” he asks casually.

“I think you heard me,” Rodimus says, moving closer.

“I did, but I want to know if you’re going to do it.” Jason angles his head and squeezes Rodimus’s hand, simultaneously pulling Rodimus towards him.

He doesn’t need more clues. He tilts his head and presses his lips to Jason’s.

It tickles. It tingles. Rodimus isn’t warm enough for this to feel natural, but he moves gently, like he’s worried about hurting Jason, and that’s enough for this to feel good.

Rodimus moves away after just a few seconds.

“How was that?” he asks cautiously.

“Weird,” Jason admits. “But I liked it.”

Rodimus nods and looks away, seeming to think for a moment.

“You _do_ remember that this isn’t actually me, right?” he says, gesturing at himself. He hasn’t let go of Jason’s hand yet. “That my real frame is that car we left by the road.”

“I remember.” Jason narrows his eyes. “Can I see what you look like?”

“That’s kinda the plan, yeah.” Rodimus smiles sheepishly. “It’s why I asked you to find a place like this for today.”

That sounds important. Jason takes hold of Rodimus’s free hand as well and kisses him again.

“Show me,” he says against Rodimus’s lips.

“Wait for me, okay?” Rodimus says, blinking out of existence and nearly making Jason fall, now that he has no one to lean against.

There are heavy footsteps in the distance. Jason turns in the direction the sounds are coming from and waits.

After a couple of minutes, a robot appears, a red and yellow giant that waves at Jason.

“Rodimus?” Jason says, looking up into the robot’s face. He has freckles. Rodimus still has freckles for Jason to map with his fingers.

All of Jason’s earlier worries disappear: Rodimus is Rodimus, no matter what he looks like.

“Hi, Jason,” he says, and it occurs to Jason that, as a robot, Rodimus still has a mouth. Jason could kiss that mouth.

That’s a thought for later.

He walks closer to Rodimus and says, “Nice to meet you.”

Rodimus smiles like the sun, looking at Jason like he thinks he’s one of the good things in this world, and Jason, for the first time in years, is certain that at least one thing in his life will be perfectly fine.

He’s glad that that thing is Rodimus.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I spent the entire writing process trying to capture the vibe of [this drawing](https://auri3.tumblr.com/post/615119794193219584/rodimus-does-absolutely-nothing-jason). It's! So! Good!
> 
> If promos are your thing, you can [retweet](https://twitter.com/ceehagez/status/1278117893197135872) or [reblog](https://veto-power-over-fanworks.tumblr.com/post/622394597859033088/hope-and-glory-wont-pass-us-by) the link to this fic.


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